She's Got A Way About Her
by SoulsOfStardust
Summary: He didn't know what it was, but there didn't have to be a reason. That was enough for now. In which, Diego interrupts Vanya's practice and does a lot of thinking.


A/N: This is the first time that I've actually completed a fanfiction story. Go me. This is just a one-shot. I hope you guys like it. I feel like it's extremely convoluted and out of character and overkill, but oh well. I enjoyed writing it, so I hope you guys enjoy reading it! Lemme know what y'all think, I'd love to have some feedback. The title is from Billy Joel's _She's Got a Way_. I suggest listening to the song before or after reading the story because it fits so perfectly, and it wasn't even planned! If you guys wanna listen to _Widmung_ or _Vocalise_ (mentioned in this story), I listened to _Myrthen, Op. 25: I. Widmung_ by Frank Kim & Sun Yi Shin, and _Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14_ by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Nikolaj Znaider.

Disclaimer: I don't own Netflix's Umbrella Academy, Billy Joel's She's Got a Way, Schumann-Liszt's Widmung, or Rachmaninoff's Vocalise. This is purely for fun and not for profit.

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Diego threw the door open and slammed it shut behind him, not hesitating in launching himself onto the bed when the violin screeched to a halt. The thirteen-year-old sprawled across the sheets, not caring about the dirt, sweat, and blood that would surely stain the bed coverings. His eyes burned and his throat tightened as he buried his face in a pillow in an attempt to hide his emotions.

It had been a particularly brutal day for the Hargreaves. Father always hit a sore spot on each member of the Umbrella Academy during training. Today, Sir Reginald made a jab at Diego's stutter.

"You cannot be a hero with that ridiculous speech impediment," he sneered. "It's a weakness. Your enemies will sense your fear and take advantage of it, most certainly resulting in the injury or death of the victims, your teammates, or yourself. I suggest you keep your mouth shut on missions to avoid such a calamity."

Everybody was paralyzed, shocked by the hateful words that had come from their father's mouth. Of course, he had said horrible things to them before, so this type of behavior wasn't new to them. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they weren't taken aback each time the nastiest of insults graced his lips, especially when they were as bad as this one.

Tears threatened to spill out of Diego's eyes as he sprinted back into the house. He wanted to avoid further embarrassment in front of his family, even if his father yelled after him that training hadn't been adjourned for the day. He would face Sir Reginald's anger later when he wasn't in the middle of a breakdown.

At first, he was planning on running to his room and locking the door to separate himself from the world for a while. He wanted to throw his knives at anything and everything he could find in there. However, he heard the sound of violin music coming from down the hall and made a rather rash decision in a moment of emotional crisis.

That's how Diego found himself choking back sobs on Vanya's bed, interrupting her practice time. He could feel her eyes on him as he lay there crying in front of her, no doubt surprising her at the turn of events and the display of emotion. He prayed that she wouldn't try to hug him or talk to him right now, actions not uncharacteristic of her. Don't get him wrong, Diego loved Vanya and didn't mind doing either of those things with her (actually, he enjoyed doing those things with her very much, but that's not something he would ever confess), he just didn't feel that he was up to hugging or talking in his current state of turmoil.

He thought about hurrying out of the room with his head down in shame, his hasty decision to come to Vanya's room instead of his own clearly a major mistake. As Diego was about to slide off the bed, he heard the rustle of papers. He shifted his head so that one eye peaked over the top of the pillow. He saw that Vanya was replacing the sheets on her music stand with new ones, her violin and bow now laying on the edge of the bed next to him. She glanced at him quickly when she grabbed her instrument, not maintaining eye contact for very long. After she placed the violin beneath her jaw, Vanya bit her bottom lip softly and took a shaky, but deep breath as she brought the bow down to the strings. The familiar melody that flowed from the instrument was slow and sweet.

It was Diego's favorite.

He closed his eyes and felt his body relax, releasing a tension that he hadn't known was there before. His sobs died away and only small sniffles remained. His mind wandered as he calmed down to the notes of _Widmung_ (he had asked Vanya the name of the song a while back, so she must've figured he liked it).

(He did).

Diego wasn't exactly sure why he had gone to her room. He's been in her room a few times before, but not when she's practicing. When she first started playing when they were seven, he was absolutely fine with staying in his bedroom down the hall to try and drown out the constant screeching of bow against strings.

Within no time, though, Vanya got good.

_Really_ good.

The idea of staying in his room was no longer satisfying after that. Diego wanted to hear her play, so he made a habit out of sitting on the windowsill in the hallway next to her bedroom under the pretense of liking to look out the window while he played with his knives (not that anyone believed him, considering there was a perfectly good window in his room, but nobody ever called him out on it).

Each time, he wished there wasn't a wall between them, but he never worked up the courage to walk into her room, like Five and Ben consistently did. Well, he'd never been able to do that _until now_, but he wasn't even sure if it counted as courage since he was definitely in a different state of mind.

Diego returned to his initial question of why he was there. All he knew was that he liked when she played the violin. In fact, although the Hargreaves children never liked to admit their thoughts aloud, each and every one of them did like to listen to Vanya play the violin for one reason or another.

Diego almost snorted at the thought as his mind wandered to his siblings. Of course, they didn't like to hear the melodies permeating the house all hours of the day and night, as she tended to practice quite often, but they still loved her music for the way it made them feel and only when it was convenient for them. They never told her when they enjoyed her playing, only when they were irritated by it. Fake fans, Diego thought. Unfortunately, he was just like them, as he never straight up told Vanya that he liked her music, but he never told her otherwise either.

Allison couldn't stand the sound of cheery music contradicting her emotions after rough training sessions or harsh days in the field such as today, when Father's disappointed voice echoed in her mind. Melancholic music was no better, as it just amplified her feelings and made her feel even worse. She would yell at Vanya to shut up.

However, on the days she wasn't extremely upset, Allison would enjoy the violin as it reminded her of fairytales and princesses and royal balls. Vanya's music would take her mind off their crappy childhood and Sir Reginald's A+ parenting for a time and allow her to live a fantasy, to have a happy ending.

Diego scrunched his face in disgust. Fairytales weren't his thing, but he understood where she was coming from.

Luther always went along with Allison. Her thoughts and opinions most often became his own. He would ask Vanya to be quiet with a stern expression and a commanding tone when Allison was upset, as if it was her fault she felt that way. He only liked to listen to the violin when Allison would ask him to dance with her, pretending that they were at a fancy gala. When she was happy, he was happy.

Diego internally groaned. Typical Luther. He was a lovesick puppy.

Klaus couldn't handle the centuries-old music that Vanya would play most days, especially after his private training sessions in the mausoleum. The melodies haunted his mind and brought him back into the dark chambers where he was surrounded by spirits crying out for help from someone, anyone. Many times, he wailed with them, wearing his throat raw. He would scream for the noise to stop.

However, Klaus did enjoy Vanya's playing on occasion. Unfortunately, those occasions frequently involved a certain intoxication. He claimed the violin made the high even better.

Diego always rolled his eyes at his brother's dangerous antics. He wished there was something he could do to help him, though.

Five sometimes would be so overwhelmed with the ideas running through his head that he needed complete silence to sort through them. He never got angry with Vanya, neither did he ever lash out at her for playing her music. He would just politely ask her to pause for just a second as he gathered his thoughts and put them into words on paper. Other than those moments of sheer brilliance that required the absence of sound to be properly unraveled, Five enjoyed listening to his sister's violin while he worked because, for one, it helped him focus, but also because he loved to see her happy.

Vanya was most certainly his favorite sibling out of all the Hargreaves children, likely because she was kind and good-hearted. She listened to Five's ramblings and went out of her way to make people's day better. She was a good person, and Five loved to experience what made her happier than anything in the world. He wanted to see her smile, and listening to her play gave him the chance to do so.

Diego knew that Five's reason was the least selfish out of all the Hargreaves children. He was jealous of that.

Ben never outright asked Vanya to stop playing before. His body language and facial expressions told her all she needed to know. Some days, she would play his favorite songs if he was exhausted (physically and mentally) from training. Other days, she would sit in silence with him by the window in her bedroom, abandoning her violin and bow to hold his hands in her own. Most days, Ben loved to listen to her play while he read. Music and books both helped him exponentially. They calmed the horror within him and put him at ease.

Diego shakily sighed at the thought. He felt bad for his brother and wished he could be there for him just like Vanya.

Diego thought about his reason for liking Vanya's playing. He's not sure what that would be, but he thought that he possibly had more than one. He liked the way it made him feel calm, like Ben. He liked that it distracted him from the harsh realities of life in the Umbrella Academy, like Allison and Klaus. He liked that it made people happy, like Five and Luther. All these reasons were perfectly fine, but none of them seemed to be _his_ reason.

Diego was pulled back to reality when he heard the familiar rise and fall of the melody repeat itself once again. As he opened his eyes and turned his head towards her, he realized that Vanya had played the same piece multiple times at this point as he was lost in thought. He had calmed down substantially from the moment she had begun playing to what must be _at least_ her tenth encore of _Widmung_. Heat rushed to his face as embarrassment bloomed in his chest, knowing that he was the cause of this rather awkward situation.

"V-Vanya," Diego muttered, his voice sore from crying.

She didn't stop playing, but hummed in response to her name. Her eyes were closed as she glided the bow smoothly across the strings of her violin. A small smile graced her lips, and her long, dark hair was pushed away from her face, allowing the sunlight streaming in through her window to dance across her features. She looked peaceful, content, satisfied. He had never seen her so beautiful and mesmerizing and _extraordinary_.

That's when Diego realized the first of many revelations about Vanya.

She knew her family.

She knew them _well_.

After years of being forced to the sidelines as the ordinary, useless, forgotten member of the Umbrella Academy, she had plenty of time to notice the things that went on around her. Vanya was always there, and she saw everything, heard everything, _knew_ everything. She took advantage of the knowledge she possessed from her ability to look and listen closely. She made herself useful by getting to know her family.

She knew Five's favorite food was peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches, and took the time to listen to his spiels on physics and theories. She knew Ben's favorite author was Anton Chekhov, and discussed the plots and characters from their most beloved books. She knew about Klaus's addiction before everyone else, and helped him paint his nails for the first time. She knew Luther's love for airplanes before his modelling phase, and had gotten him his very first music record. She knew Allison's favorite color was lavender, and listened to her hopes of becoming famous for something other than being a part of the Umbrella Academy. She knew Diego's need to be left alone when he was upset, and played his favorite song on the violin ten times to comfort him.

Vanya saw, heard, knew people for who they really were because she took the time to get to know them, even if they didn't give her the time of day in return. She cared about people, even if they didn't care about her. She wanted to make people happy, even if they didn't do the same for her.

Diego found that this is what made her extraordinary. This was her power that Father claimed she did not possess. She had the ability to see and hear and know people. She could make them happy. She was a good person, better than any of the Hargreaves could ever dream of being.

Realization dawned on him. Vanya was able to translate her extraordinary power into an eloquent and poetic medium with the violin. Playing served as a release for her, as her medication packed away her emotions and hid them in the deepest recesses of her heart and mind. Violin was her voice, the melodies communicating her thoughts and feelings in a way that she could make sense of them.

Each of the Hargreaves children looked for happiness in Vanya's music (some more selfishly than others), which she was always willing to give to the people, to the family, she loved. Though, however much she enjoyed making other people happy, as it was always her intended goal, this was something that also made _her_ happy in and of itself because it was _hers_.

Playing the violin was something that was so uniquely _her_.

It made her feel _extraordinary _in a family of extraordinary children who always made her feel otherwise.

Diego came to the conclusion that it wasn't necessarily her violin playing that he liked, although he did enjoy listening to it. He didn't understand until now because he hadn't actually seen her play in person. He hadn't gazed upon the peaceful expression of her face, the gentle sway of her body in time with the melody, the soft smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth as she slid her bow expertly across the strings of her violin. Seeing her now in the comfort and happiness of doing something she loved for the people she loved, something that made her feel special, he knew his reason.

Diego wanted her to feel extraordinary.

He wanted her to feel as extraordinary as he thought she was.

With this thought, Diego sat up and slid off the side of the bed nearest Vanya, perching himself on the edge. She continued to play _Widmung_ from memory as he rubbed his eyes, which were no doubt swollen and red. As the sweet melody of his favorite song on the violin drew to a close, he gently placed a hand on the wrist supporting the neck of her instrument.

She tensed slightly at the contact, her eyes opening slowly and her head tilting to allow her hair to fall forward, blocking the sunlight from illuminating her face.

Diego frowned at this. She always hid behind her curtain of hair. He had liked seeing her full face and the happiness that was evident in her previous facial expression.

Silence now filled the room.

Vanya didn't turn to face him. She stared at her sheet music with an indiscernible look on her face. She still held the violin to her chin, the bow resting atop the strings, as if ready to begin playing at a moment's notice.

"Vanya," Diego said again, this time clearer and devoid of a stutter.

She slowly lowered her instrument and shifted her body to meet his eyes. Even though they were partially obscured by her fringe, her dark brown eyes were wide and expectant.

At first, he wasn't sure what he should do now. He knew that he wanted her to know how much he appreciated her, how sorry he was for dropping in like this, how he felt about her and her music.

In the end, Diego decided that words couldn't sufficiently express his thoughts in that moment, especially when he knew he'd stumble over each one.

He surprised Vanya and himself by gingerly wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in for a hug. He was still seated on the bed, so his cheek gently rested against her chest.

Vanya tensed up more than she had previously when his hand had brushed her wrist, but she slowly relaxed as she placed her violin and bow on her bed on either side of Diego. One hand went to his upper back to rub circles there, while the other tangled in his dark curls.

He pulled her closer when she returned the hug, becoming more comfortable with the embrace.

He wanted to stay like that forever.

That's when he realized something, the last of his revelations for the day.

Diego thought Vanya was extraordinary. He wanted her to feel extraordinary.

That's because he liked Vanya.

He liked her _a lot_.

They were family, after all. However, his thoughts and feelings that had occupied his mind for the past several minutes told him that maybe it was more than that.

Maybe he didn't just _like_ her.

Perhaps it was _love_.

When Diego thought about loving Vanya, his heart pounded, his cheeks flushed, his fingers trembled. His response confirmed his suspicions.

He loved Vanya.

Though, as they were thirteen, he wasn't sure what this meant. Of course, Diego loved his family (minus Sir Reginald). He loved his siblings, his mother, and Pogo all very much. All he knew was that his love for Vanya felt different.

(It would be years before he understood the reason why).

He cracked a smile as he pulled away from the embrace, looking up at Vanya's face. She was biting her bottom lip again, but soon adopted a soft smile to reflect his own. She took a step back as he stood up. She was the first to break eye contact as she fiddled with her sheet music before speaking for the first time since Diego had arrived.

"I know you don't really like to talk about what's making you upset," she quietly said, her words slow and enunciated, as if she was carefully choosing what to say, "but the offer still stands. I'm always here if you need me."

She scooped up her papers from the music stand and gingerly slid them into a manila folder that had been sitting on her desk. It was labelled "Schumann" in her cursive handwriting with black ink. Vanya's back was to him, so she glanced at him quickly over her shoulder.

"For anything," she added to her previous statement.

She rifled through a new folder titled "Rachmaninoff", settling on a new piece that she placed on her empty music stand.

When Diego hadn't responded, she turned to face him again, her eyes darting to the violin that rested on the bed behind him. Vanya obviously wanted to continue her violin practice, preferably alone, but she was hesitant to tell him so. She cared about him and wanted to make sure he was alright, but she could play _Widmung_ only so many times in a row before wanting to move on to the next piece.

His words seemed to still fail him at this moment, so he mustered a tight smile and a small nod in recognition. The sentiment was returned with equal fervor.

He thought about picking the violin up to hand to her, but thought better of it in case he accidentally dropped it. His hands were still shaking, and he didn't trust himself to hold onto her prized possession.

Diego sharply turned and walked speedily to the door, not wanting to waste any more of Vanya's time, but he stopped abruptly with his hand grasping the doorknob mid-turn. He looked over his shoulder at her and saw that she was looking at him, too. Her violin rested underneath her chin once again, and her bow hovered expectantly over the strings.

He knew what he needed to say, and he needed to say it now.

"Th-th-thank," Diego stuttered. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before trying again. "Thank you," he said, "for everything."

He grinned as a small smile pulled at Vanya's lips and a slight blush dusted her cheeks.

"Any time," she replied.

"I-I think you're extraordinary," Diego murmured without second thought, his own face heating up as Vanya's blush deepened at his words. She bit her bottom lip in an attempt to hide her widening smile. She turned her head to avert her shy gaze, but met his eyes again just as quickly as she had looked away.

"Thank you," she quietly breathed, as if his compliment had knocked the wind from her lungs. She giggled as he beamed at her.

Her smile and her laughter were as beautiful as her playing the violin. He wanted to be the one to make her smile and laugh again and again. He wanted to make her happy, to make her feel special.

Diego absolutely loved Vanya, and there was no doubt about it.

He walked out of Vanya's room and quietly shut the door behind him. The sound of her violin started up again, the melody of _Vocalise_ (sue him for taking an interest in the songs she played) following him down the hall back to his own bedroom.

When his siblings returned from training, they weren't expecting to see Diego so happy after the events that had transpired earlier that day. Even as their father chewed him out for ditching, for being upset by his so-called hard truth that he needed to accept sooner rather than later, Diego remained content and unfazed.

Nothing could ruin his happiness that day. Nothing could shake the smile that lingered on his lips in those few hours.

Vanya was there.

She saw him, heard him, knew him.

Vanya loved him, and Diego loved her.

That was enough for now.

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Hope y'all enjoyed!

~SOS~


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